Penny Wong is a powerful figure inside Labor and a key supporter of Bill Shorten.Source:AAP

Bill Shorten and Penny Wong are close friends as well as colleagues. Picture: Kym SmithSource:News Corp Australia

Senator Wong, a major figure in the Left faction, has also built a reputation as being an attack dog who doesn’t turn voters off by being aggressive.

Instead, her defensive style is more poised and intelligent. She is well-regarded in the party and has the ear of Mr Shorten on not just foreign affairs — her shadow portfolio — but also key social issues for which she has been a champion.

BRENDAN O’CONNOR

When it comes to his area of responsibility — industrial relations — Brendan O’Connor tends to take a back seat in the media stakes to trade unionist Mr Shorten.

Particularly during the campaign, the leader will do the bulk of the talking on this key area, which is his passion and a major point of difference between Labor and the Coalition.

“They’re factional opponents who battled it out for the leadership — the party rank and file overwhelmingly wanted Albo but caucus backed Shorten.”

There was some misgivings from Mr Albanese and his camp over the way the Labor leadership ballot went.

Mr Shorten, one of the key figures that brought down Mr Rudd’s prime ministership and then worked behind the scenes to reinstall him to replace Ms Gillard — ironically benefited from rule changes implemented to prevent that kind of instability.

It’s understood Mr Albanese has largely moved on from the fallout and “co-operates” with Mr Shorten on policy issues.

Another figure also told news.com.au Mr Albanese was a major part of Labor’s marginal seats campaigning.

Given his broad public appeal — “he’s got that rare thing in politics where people see him as authentic” — he is spending a considerable amount of time in key election battlegrounds announcing Labor’s infrastructure and transport commitments.

“He’s so important for the marginal seats campaign. The Libs are dumping a lot of money in marginal seats but Albo is there … he’s able to announce road, rail and airport funding in those areas across the country.”

Kristina Keneally has brought warmth and wit to the campaign and is a key defensive player.Source:Supplied

Kristina Keneally is emerging as one of this campaign’s stronger performers, riding what she calls the Fair Go Express bus around Australia.

Her warmth and wit are key qualities, it seems. She can orchestrate attacks on the Coalition and defences of Labor’s policy in a way that’s not alienating, new.com.au has been told.

“She’s playing a really important role on the pushback on the superannuation changes and retiree franking credits. She’s out there prosecuting the attack lines — she hops off the bus, delivers the strong defence and leaves Shorten to focus on the positive,” a source said.

Another rising figure in Labor is Queensland MP and shadow finance spokesman Jim Chalmers, viewed as a “young up-and-comer”.

Elected in the southeast Queensland seat of Rankin in 2013, Mr Chalmers previously served as former treasurer Wayne Swan’s chief of staff and was also a respected party official.

Shadow finance minister Jim Chalmers has had a rapid rise through the Labor ranks and is seen as a major “up-and-comer”.Source:AAP

“He has risen rapidly through the ranks and is in the critical (shadow) finance portfolio and is doing a lot of the defensive work around Labor’s tax and economic credentials,” a source said.

In his role of campaign spokesman, he is enjoying prominence in the public spotlight.

Catherine King, Labor’s health spokeswoman, has not had a high public profile until relatively recently.

But her stocks have risen after a major role in formulating Labor’s health policy for the election campaign — in particular the $2.2 billion cancer care package.

Shadow health spokeswoman Catherine King has stepped forward thanks to her work on Labor’s health policy, especially the cancer care package.Source:AAP

Ms King has accompanied Mr Shorten on campaign stops across the country so far as Labor makes a strong push on its health policy credentials.

One familiar face who has popped up in the background at countless appearances is Mr Swan, who is now Labor’s national president.

As one party insider puts it, it’s not clear if Mr Swan and Mr Shorten are “friends or frenemies”, but Mr Swan is an experienced campaigner with valuable insight.

He is a source of counsel on the trail.

So too is Mr Shorten’s wife, Chloe. In addition to being incredibly popular on the public stage, Ms Shorten is a highly experienced corporate affairs adviser.

Chloe Shorten is playing a key role in the campaign. Picture: Kym SmithSource:News Corp Australia

She is also used to the trappings of the limelight, being the daughter of former governor-general Quentin Bryce.

Ms Shorten is regularly relied upon as a sounding board for her husband, as well as a stabilising and reassuring force.

Wayne Swan has popped up in the background at a number of Bill Shorten’s campaign events.Source:AAP